Ken Jennings shares his surprise at the unexpected exit of Jeopardy! co-host Mayim Bialik.
Jennings and Bialik were sharing hosting duties until the actress’ recent announcement that Sony’s show producers had chosen Jennings as the sole host.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jennings expresses his feelings about the unexpected change, stating, “It took me off guard, because I loved working with my Mayim, and I’m gonna miss her.”
These are Jennings’ first remarks about Bialik’s departure, who tells THR that he couldn’t speak to her decision-making process or her opinions on the matter.
Meanwhile, a Sony spokesperson shared a statement with The Hollywood Reporter about The Big Bang Theory star’s exit from Jeopardy!, saying, “Mayim Bialik has announced she will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!. We made the decision to have one host for the syndicated show next season to maintain continuity for our viewers, and Ken Jennings will be the sole host for syndicated Jeopardy!. We are truly grateful for all of Mayim’s contributions to Jeopardy!, and we hope to continue to work with her on primetime specials.”
Before taking on the full-time hosting role, 49-year-old Jennings had served as a consulting producer for Jeopardy! and was a contestant himself. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to host, telling THR, “But on my end, I’m just a fan of Jeopardy! and I’m always delighted to host when they call upon me. I just feel extremely lucky to have even been considered for this job as a non-broadcaster.”
The show was famously hosted by Alex Trebek for 37 seasons before his death on Nov. 8, 2020.
The hosting transition on Jeopardy! saw a brief and controversial stint by EP-turned-host Mike Richards before the announcement last summer that Bialik and Jennings would be taking over hosting duties in what was thought to be a long-term arrangement.
Jennings, who won an impressive 74 consecutive games in 2004 on Jeopardy!, is widely regarded as on of the game show’s best players.
As for 48-year-old Bialik, she rose to fame in the early 1990s with her lead role on the NBC sitcom Blossom and went on to earn a bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in neuroscience from UCLA in the early 2000s.
